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Ben Preiss
So Cal Emergency Elitism - Private Firefighters Save Homes of Rich (GALLERY)
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If you thought that the wildfires that swept through Southern California destroyed the homes of the rich and middle class equally, you were wrong. It turns out that wealthy customers of insurer AIG who pay premiums of at least $10,000 a year and own homes with a value of at least $1 million get to have a private firefighting company come and spray their homes with Phos-Chek fire retardant foam. That’s the same foam used by the U.S. Forest Service. Other rich and famous have automatic foam spraying systems that sense the fires approach.
AIG's Wildfire Protection Unit, part of its Private Client Group, is offered only to homeowners in California's most affluent ZIP Codes -- including Malibu, Beverly Hills, Newport Beach and Menlo Park -- and a dozen Colorado resort communities. Carrier and his 15 crew mates sprayed retardant on and around more than 160 homes in Malibu, Lake Arrowhead and the hardest-hit areas of Orange and San Diego counties this week. They claim to have saved a dozen homes.
Jim Moore of Malibu, for one, was grateful for their services.
"Just picture it," said Moore, whose house was sprayed by Firebreak early Monday. "Here you are in that raging wildfire. Smoke everywhere. Flames everywhere. Plumes of smoke coming up over the hills. Here's a couple guys showing up in what looks like a firetruck who are experts trained in fighting wildfire and they're there specifically to protect your home. . . . It was really, really comforting."
(latimes)
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Read More: bloomberg Via: latimes
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